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Polk County, Tennessee
Date: 1948-08-07; Paper: Dallas Morning News
GUARDS QUIET; TROUBLE SPOT IN TENNESSEE "Virtual Curfew On After Two Are Slain, and Five Wounded" Benton, Tenn., Aug. 6. National Guardsmen and highway patrolmen laid down a virtual curfew to quiet this southeast Tennessee town Friday night after election strife had left two reported dead and five wounded. The troopers were ordered here by Gov. Jim McCord as tension continued to run high in the wake of a dispute which flared during Thursday's county general election. The Guardsmen arrived only a few hours after the second ambush shooting in two days. The first ended in the death of one man and the wounding of another. In subsequent gunplay another man was slain and four persons wounded. Col. Dwight D. McReynolds of the 278th Infantry of the Tennessee National Guard ordered all civilians to stay off the streets Friday night unless on specific business. The order was backed up by troops and thirty state highway patrolmen under direction of State Safety Commissioner Lynn Bomar. Eight Arrests Made Bomar said eight arrests had been made by patrolmen, who patrolled the highways armed with submachine guns and pistols. The arrests were made largely for carrying concealed weapons. Bomar said. He added that no violence had been reported since the guardsmen entered the city. McReynolds indicated the guardsmen may remain on duty until the results of the election are made official Monday. Friday's ambush attach was directed at a heavily armed motorcade bringing a disputed election box from nearby Copperhill to Benton. The driver of a car at which a single shot was fired was cut by glass fragments. As the guardsmen entered the city, the Polk County Good Government League claimed a sweeping victory over former Sheriff Burch E. Biggs, Democratic organization. Biggs has been in power here for eighteen years. H. E. Barclay, Copperhill chairman of the league, proclaimed victory after leading the motorcade here with the clinching ballots cast in the county general election. He said the League, which entered a full slate against the Biggs candidates, won all but three races. The latter went to opposition justice of peace aspirants. Members of the opposing factions which had been openly carrying guns put them away when word spread that the guard had arrived. The first detail included eighty-five officers and men. FOLLOWS SQUABBLE Thursday's bloodletting followed weeks of squabbling between spokesmen for the organization of Biggs and the nonpartisan Good Government League. The gunplay apparently was touched off by the election and tenseness engendered by it, but no official spokesman openly blamed the disorder on political strife. The first shooting occurred near here Thursday when, Biggs said, one man was killed and another critically wounded by ambushers. The body of another man, shot in the back, was found in the road near Ducktown early Friday, a Ducktown undertaker said. The ambush victim was identified by Biggs as Donald Lands, 28, and his gravely wounded companion was listed as Edwin Sheaver, 32. Biggs said Shearer's father was a candidate for justice of peace. The man found dead of a bullet wound in the back Friday was identified as Earnest Loudermilk. Listed as wounded were Wayne Kimsey, 333; Chester Goode, 28; Hardy (Cobby) Loudermilk and Loudermilk's wife. AP MAN FREED Associated Press Correspondent James S. Callaway was arrested at the courthouse poling place on charges of disturbing the peace and violating the election law. He was freed on $500 bond. Rudy Faircloth, AP photographer, reported and unidentified man slashed at him with a knife after warning him with a knife after warning him to get out of town. Faircloth was not hurt. John Goforth, Chattanooga News-Free Press cameraman, said his camera was smashed when he attempted to take a picture of the counting of ballots at the court-house here.
Date: 1948-08-10; Paper: Dallas Morning News "BALLOTS IN TENNESSEE COUNTED UNDER GUARD" Benton, Tenn. Aug. 9 (AP) National Guard machine guns ringed the Polk County courthouse Monday as the election commission canvassed votes cast in last Thursday's trouble-ridden local general election. Commission spokesmen said results of the canvass probably would not be available for hours. The troops and highway patrolmen stood guard to prevent recurrence of election day violence which left three dead and four wounded. This small East Tennessee county seat was crowded with guardsmen, patrolmen and curious citizens. But only seventeen men were permitted to attend the official canvass and each of them was assigned a National Guard escort.
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